News and COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 VIRUS Information about Our Services

These are stressful times for all of us.  We are all fighting together to slow the progression of the virus.  We also urge you to continue to maintain your mental health.  Your team at Bowden & Associates is putting our client’s, and our community’s health and safety first. With changes in government mandates, we returned to face-to-face sessions.  Since not everyone is comfortable with this we are also continuing client contact by telephone and secure video formats if requested. Our support staff will continue to answer our phones so as to provide you with the service you are accustomed to. They are also available to answer questions, schedule appointments and help with credit card payments.  We will continue to schedule new clients face-to-face, phone or video formats.  Below is our consent for face-to-face policy and the actions we are taking to maintain a safe place for everyone.

Bowden & AssociatesPsychological and Counseling Services LLC

As of 06/07/2021:

 

INFORMED CONSENT FOR IN-PERSON SERVICES DURING COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

 

This document contains important information about our decision (yours and mine) to resume in-person services considering the COVID-19 public health crisis. Please read this carefully and let us know if you have any questions. When you sign this document, it will be an official agreement between us.

 

Decision to Meet Face-to-Face

We have agreed to meet in person for some or all future sessions. If there is a resurgence of the pandemic or if other health concerns arise, however, we may require that we meet via telehealth. If you have concerns about meeting through telehealth, we will talk about it first and try to address any issues. You understand that, if we believe it is necessary, we may determine that we return to telehealth for everyone’s well-being.

 

If you decide at any time that you would feel safer staying with, or returning to, telehealth services, we will respect that decision, if it is feasible and clinically appropriate. Reimbursement for telehealth services, however, is also determined by the insurance companies and applicable law, so that is an issue we may also need to discuss.

 

Risks of Opting for In-Person Services

You understand that by coming to the office, you are assuming the risk of exposure to the coronavirus (or other public health risk). This risk may increase if you travel by public transportation, cab, or ridesharing service.

 

Your Responsibility to Minimize Your Exposure

To obtain services in person, you agree to take certain precautions which will help keep everyone (you, me, our families,  other staff, and other patients) safer from exposure, sickness,                                           and possible death. If you do not adhere to these safeguards, it may result in our starting / returning to a telehealth arrangement.  Initial each to indicate that you understand and agree to these actions:

You will only keep your in-person appointment if you are symptom free. _____
 If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, or other illness you agree to cancel the appointment or proceed using telehealth.______
You will wait in your car or outside until no earlier than 5 minutes before our

appointment time. _______

You will wash your hands / use hand sanitizer when you enter the building. ___
You will adhere to the safe distancing precautions we have set up in the waiting room and therapy room. ______
You will keep a distance of 6 feet from others and there will be no physical contact (e.g., no shaking hands or hugs with therapist or staff). _____
If your child is our client, you will make sure that your child follows all of these sanitation and distancing protocols. _____
You will take steps between appointments to minimize your exposure to COVID. _____
If you have a job that exposes you to other people who are infected, you will immediately let us know. _______
If your commute or other responsibilities or activities put you in close contact with others (beyond your family), you will let us know. ____
If a resident of your home tests positive for the infection, you will immediately let me, and my staff know, and we will then begin/ resume treatment via telehealth.______

 

We may change the above precautions if additional local, state or federal orders or professional guidelines are published. If that happens, we will talk about any necessary changes.

 

Bowden & Associates’ Commitment to Minimize Exposure

Bowden & Associates LLC has taken steps to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus within the office, and we have posted our efforts on our website and in the office. Please let me know if you have questions about these efforts.

 

If You or I Are Sick

You understand that we are committed to keeping you, me, my staff, and all of our families safe from the spread of this virus. If you show up for an appointment and we believe that you have a fever or other symptoms, or believe you have been exposed, you will be required  to leave the office immediately. We can follow up with services by telehealth as appropriate.

If any staff at Bowden & Associates LLC test positive for the coronavirus, we will notify you so that you can take appropriate precautions.

 

Your Confidentiality in the Case of Infection

If you have tested positive for the coronavirus, we may be required to notify local health authorities that you have been in the office. If we must report this, we will only provide the minimum information necessary for their data collection and will not go into any details about the reason(s) for our visits.  By signing this form, you are agreeing that Bowden & Associates LLC may do so without an additional signed release.

 

Informed Consent

This agreement supplements the general informed consent/business agreement that we agreed to at the start of our work together.

 

Your signature below shows that you agree to these terms and conditions.

 

_________________________                                              _________________________

Patient/Client                                                                          Date

 

_________________________                                              _________________________

Therapist                                                                                 Date

 

 

Below is a notice of what Bowden & Associates has done to assure your safety.

Office Safety Precautions in Effect During the Pandemic

 

Bowden & Associates has/is taking the following precautions to protect our patients and help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

 

Office seating in the waiting room and in therapy rooms has been arranged for appropriate physical distancing.
We  wear masks as directed by the CDC and State of Ohio.
We maintain safe distancing.
Restroom soap dispensers are maintained, and everyone is encouraged to wash their hands.
Hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is available in the therapy rooms, the waiting room and at the reception counter and hallways.
We ask all patients to wait in their cars or outside until no earlier than 5 minutes before their appointment times.
Credit card pads, pens and other areas that are commonly touched are thoroughly sanitized after each use.
Physical contact is not permitted.
Tissues and trash bins are easily accessed. Trash is disposed of on a frequent basis.
Common areas are thoroughly disinfected at the end of each day.
Plastic/plexiglass  shields are in place to safety between staff and patients.
Air purifiers are used in certain spaces to increase air flow.

 

 

 

 

Born to Be Online:  Children and the Digital World

Kids today seem to be constantly online, interacting with others via digital technology. It is not unusual that parents are concerned about the effects of this on their children.  This can be mild such as concern about eye strain, or more serious issues such as cyber bullying, sexting, or viewing inappropriate web sites. 

Research is showing us that kids between the ages of 8-18 are spending 11.5 hours a day using computers, iPhones, pads, gaming devices and other digital devices.  Many of these hours may involve multiple devices at the same time.  And 70% of kids conceal some or all of their activity online!

Thus, our children are growing up with a life of high speed access to internet and technology. And parents have a reason to be concerned. Robert Weiss LCSW, CAT-S has a very pertinent article concerning this.  In his article Children in the Digital World   he discusses the intersection of digital technology on humanity and makes some simple recommendations.  Bottom line, kids are going to use technology.  This is a part of their lives and their world.  But there are things parents can do to make it safer:

Establish the rule that the phone/device is owned by you and it is a privilege (not a right) for them to use it

Limit screen time to less than two hours a day

Discourage screen time for children younger than two years old

Keep internet enabled devices out of kid’s bedrooms

Monitor frequently the websites they visit and social media sites

Co-view TV, movies, videos and use this as a time to educated about important issues.

For the entire article:  www.aamft.org

 

Did you know that almost two-thirds of the children worry all the time?

A recent article in BBC News states out of 700 children aged 10 and 11  almost two-thirds worry “all the time”.  They are worried about not being able to do their class work, being criticised by teachers and parents, and  54% worry about the well-being of family and friends.

And if that isn’t enough to worry about, 40% of these kids felt their worries got in the way of school work.  Almost 30% said that once they started worrying they could not stop and 21% said they did not know what to do when worried.

The girls also worried more about friendships and appearance.  Boys worried more about being angry.

The most common coping strategies were talking to family members (72%) or to friends (65%), while 65% of boys calmed themselves by playing computer games compared with 39% of girls.

The  reality is that young children can worry about a lot of things, whether it’s something going on at home, with their friends, or even about bad things happening in the world. 

The good news is, the research also showed that talking with a trusted adult and counseling were effective in helping the children to cope and played a crucial role in ensuring that children learned to look out for each other and know how to get help if they need it.

The entire article can be found at:  bbc.com/news/education-38861155.